He hit his shell harder. Mama said it was time to come out. Time to chose the one who would be HIS special friend for life. He tapped his shell again. He see could something. Mama told him it was light. It was so bright it hurt his eyes. Mama promised he would get use to it. He kicked his shell one last time. He was free.

He looked at all the people around him. None of them were right for him. He looked up at all the people above him watching. None of them were right either.

He started crying pitifully. Where was his special friend?

“If you don’t find one now more people will be brought in.” Mama told him.

He stumbled over to Mama. A boy reach out to him, no he was not the one. Several other boys walked over to him. He looked at each one. Not one of them were right for him.

People who were not wearing candidate robes were brought out to him. He looked at each one hopefully. No, they were not right either.

He was very hungry and tired. Mama had said their friend would feed them. He could not eat until he found his friend. He laid next to his Mama. He did not know what to do. Mama gently nosed him.

“Do not give up. More people will be brought in. You will find your special friend.” She told him.

All the other dragonets had found their friends and were eating. A woman came up to him carrying a bowl of meat. He was hungry, but did not want to eat.

He took a few pieces of meat from the woman, Cosa. Who was Mama special friend. Then laid with his head under one of Mama’s wings.

Dragons came flying in. Each one carrying at least one boy. Most carrying Three or four. They ranged in age from six to twenty turns. He looked each boy over eagerly, hoping this boy would the one. No they were not right for him.

There was no celebrating that night. Dragons and their riders could all feel the sadness of the little bronze dragon. The weyr leaders sent to other weyrs asking them to send all the boys they had. Hopefully one of them would be the right boy. He did not find one who would be good for him.

He ate when a little when Cosa brought him meat. She also bathed him and oiled him, as she did for Sammith. He did not really care if he was hungry or needed to be bathed. He ate only when his Mama and Cosa made him eat. He just wanted to be left alone, until he found his friend.

Weyrs from all over sent any boy they found, regardless of age. Any boy between five to twenty-five. He did not want any of them. The weyrs started bringing in girls, even though no girl had ever impressed a bronze. None of them were right either.

Most of the day people would pass in front of him, only to be turned away. Every night he feel into a depressed exhausted sleep. Cosa fed him as much as she or his Mama could get him to eat. He ate less and less everyday. He was getting weaker. Every person that they could find had been brought in. They had brought him three year old Bobert, the weyrs youngest child. He liked Bobert, but not as his special friend. Anyone who had not already impressed was brought to him. None of them were right.

None of the dragons were getting much rest. They could all feel the little one heart breaking.

Fourteen day after the hatching a wagon train bringing tithes arrived at the weyr. They had been delayed on the road, by a rock slide. Two of the boys were taken to met the lonely dragon. He did not like them either.

In the last wagon was an eight year old girl. Her name was Girl, at lest that is was what her father called her most of the time. She was dirty, dressed in rags and weighed half of what she should weigh. She was covered in bruise and cuts. Some fresh, most were old. She did not get out of the wagon when the train pulled to a stop, as far from the dragons as possible.

“Girl, Stay in the wagon. No one wants to see you ugly face,” her father told her. He slapped and kicked her as he got down from the wagon.

She had spilt klah that morning when the wagon had hit a bump. He had of course beaten her for it already. Slapping and kicking her was his way of reminding her to be more careful.

He walked off with the other people from the wagon train. Girl sat in the corner watching him walk away. She got some water and sat in her place in a corner to wait for Father’s return. She was very hungry. She dared not eat. Father had not yet said she could. She would be badly hurt if she ate, before she was told she could. She hoped he would allow her some food today. It had been two days since she ate.

Father had been gone for a long. She hoped he would get back soon. She had to pee. If she left the wagon and he came back she would get in trouble. If she peed in the wagon he would make her clean it up and make her walk behind the wagon. When they got to a mud puddle he would make her roll in it. Telling her that she was a pig and should roll in the mud like a pig.

She had to go pee now. She looked out and did not see one. She quietly climbed down. She intended to go to the nearest tree. She felt drawn to were weyr. She did not know why. She slowly, carefully looked around. The way was clear.

She had intended to go the nearest tree or rock. She was drawn toward the weyr. She stayed in the shadows, hoping not to be seen. She was scared of what her father would do if he were to see her away from the wagon. The last time she had left the wagon, without permission he had tied her to the back of the wagon forcing her to walk be hind. When she fell she was dragged until she could get back up.

She was also scared because this was the last stop they were making with this wagon train. They would be alone again. He would beat her for everything she did wrong while they were with the other wagons. He dared not hit her as hard when others were around. Once they were alone again he would make up for lost time.

Girl went forward, slowly, staying as far from dragons as she could. Father had told her dragons could tell when someone was bad and would eat them. Girl was bad. Father told her she was. She had killed her Mama when she was born.

She was drawn to a large sandy bowl shaped area. She could see a huge gold dragon laying on the sand. Next to her was a small bronze dragonet. As soon as Girl stepped onto the sand the bronze dragon weakly lifted his head and stood up.

“Finally she’s here. My special friend is here Mama.” He said.

He staggered toward Girl. She leaned against a wall as he went toward her looking into her eye when he reached her. “At last. You’re here. You are my special friend. I am Guardith. I am hungry. You must feed me now” He said into her mind.

Sammith did not call to the other dragons. She want to make sure an impression would be made.

Girl sat on the ground and looked in to his eyes. Here was the friend she never had. She would never be lonely again. It had to be a mistake. How could this beautiful dragon want her.

“Me, you can’t want me. I’m bad. Father told me so.”

“Don’t you want me?” He asked, heart broken that his chosen did not want him.

“Of course I do. He’ll never let me go.” Girl cried.

They both jumped when they heard a very loud yell. “GIRL! Where are you. Get back here NOW.”

“He won’t hurt you. I won’t let him.” Guardith told her.

She was still sitting on the ground with his head in her lap, trembling in fear, when her father found her. He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her to her feet. He slapped her face.

Guardith shoved himself between Girl and her father. Her father back handed the dragon sending him several feet away. A second latter a huge gold head butted him. He flew to the other side of the hatching grounds. Before he got up a very large bronze dragon was standing over him. Father tried to crawl away. The bronze dragon Jamesith, Guardith father, flick him with his tail. It was now Girl’s father’s turn to tremble in fear.

Soon the grounds were filled with dragons and their riders as well other weyr people. All yelling demanding to know what was happening.

L’gras, Jamesith rider, ran to his dragon. Cosa only a few steps behind him headng for Sammith and Guardith.

Jamesith bugled loudly, L’gras yelled for everyone to be quiet.

“Jamesith, back off.” L’gras ordered.

Jamesith grumble and stayed where he was.

“Jamesith, NOW.” Jamesith back off two paces. Still grumbling. L’gras grabbed Girl’s father up by his arms and shoved him toward some men standing next to him.

“Lock him up.” Jamesith ordered.

Cosa had made Sammith back away from Girl and Guardith. She sat down next to Girl who had fallen when her father had let go of her.

Cosa smile at Girl “What is your dragon’s name?”

“Guardith. I can’t keep him. Father will never let me.” She sobbed.

Cosa gather Girl into her arms, “You will not have to worry about him. He will never hurt you again. Guardith has waited fourteen days for his special friend. He has chosen you. He is your dragon, your friend.”

“But, I’m bad. Father told me I was. I killed Mama when I was born.”

“You are not bad.” Cosa said out loud at the same time Sammith and Guardith said the same thing in her mind.

“What about Father. He’ll never let me stay.” Girl said.

“That creature you call Father hit a baby dragon. He has a lot more to worry about than you. You are safe. We, everyone in the weyr are you family now,” Cosa said.

“I am hungry. You feed me now.” Guardith said into Girl’s mind.

“Come, I will show where you and Guardith will be living and get some food for him. What is you name?” Cosa asked.

“Mostly Father called me Girl. Sometimes he called me pig, stupid and ugly.” Girl answered.

“I think you need a real name. What would you like to be called.”

“I don’t know. What do you think?” Girl asked.

“Sammy, like Mama,” Guardith suggested.

“Sammy I like that.”

That night the postponed hatching celebration was held. Which made the weyr people happy.

Sammith was happy. Her baby had made his choice. He would grow and be happy.

Cosa was happy. The baby had chosen. Making Sammith happy. they saved a young girl from being abused.

Guardith was happy. He had found his special friend. He would never be lonely again.

Sammy was happy. Her father would never hurt her again. She had a dragon. She would never be lonely again.

L’gras and Jamesith were happy. The baby had chosen. The girls father was locked up in a tiny room with only a cot in it.

The father was the only one not happy. Which made everyone even happier.